To Proxima B Or Not To Proxima B

When you look up into the night sky and see the 100 thousand million stars above us, there is little doubt that civilizations who are more advanced than our own species exist somewhere out there, but recent discoveries about the closest exoplanet to the solar system, Proxima B, has given scientists a new wealth of knowledge.

It is reported that Proxima b is located 4.2 light years away and may be the key for future discoveries. Scientists first thought that Proxima b has 1.3 Earth masses but now new discoveries appear to be changing that perception due to a study by researchers at University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Finding that the minimum possible mass for Proxima b is actually just 17% more massive than Earth, they also observed that it orbits right in the middle of Proxima Centauri’s – the closest star to our sun – habitable zone, which makes it possible that water (and therefore life) could exist there.

However, it is also possible that it doesn’t have an atmosphere, as it is believed the radiation that Proxima Centauri emits may strip away its air, and therefore its ability to hold liquid water.

The possibilities now appear to be brightening up on mankind living on other planets. I bet Elon Musk is wetting himself in excitement.

Image credit: ESO M. Kornmesser